


a chance meeting in a kwik trip

by zeitgeistofnow



Category: Americus- M. K. Reed
Genre: ??? - Freeform, Future Fic, M/M, look this isn't even a fandom but it's a good enough graphic novel and i want them to be happy, okay but seriously are tim and danny a couple, we don't see enough of the two of them so i chose to believe they are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-29
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-07-18 21:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16127282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zeitgeistofnow/pseuds/zeitgeistofnow
Summary: neil barton's visiting americus and cleaning out his room, but his mom's all out of rubber bands. one of the only things that's changed since he left the town is the alarming number of kwik trips that have sprung up, so he makes his way to the closest one.





	a chance meeting in a kwik trip

Neil doesn’t love being back in Americus- the town in almost stiflingly small, and he can barely remember how he survived through high school- but it’s good to see his mom and Charlotte, who’s still working at the library. 

Everything’s the same as when he left it, other than the four new Apathea Ravenchilde books on the library bookshelf. Charlotte’s caught up on all of them, and they talked for a while, Neil falling easily back into his old role as library page. It’s actually a bit disarming, how well he fits into this town, like as much as his mind has changed since leaving, the muscle memory is the same. He melts into his mom’s couch the same way, skips over the same cracks in the sidewalk outside their door, says hello to the same neighbors on his way to the library. No one bats an eye that he’s back in town, and it’s familiar and it’s not. 

One of the few things that is different, though, is that his mom no longer keeps rubber bands in the junk drawer, so he’s standing in the aisle at the local convenience store (true to its name, conveniently located a few blocks from his mom’s), staring at packages of rubber bands. The high schooler leaning behind the counter looks exactly like the high schooler who used to stand there when Neil was in high school, just brighter hair and a  _ Panic! at the Disco _ t-shirt. 

Neil glances back down at the rubber bands. Does he want Staples brand? Is that better than the generic type next to it? All he’s doing is rubber-banding some of his old pencils together, so he probably doesn’t need heavy-duty, but they’ll be sitting there for years, knowing his mom, so maybe the extra 45 cents will be worth it-

“Oh! Neil? Neil Barton?” The voice comes from a few feet behind Neil, and it takes him a few minutes to place it. 

He spins around on his heel and Danny’s standing on the other side of the shelf, waving with a hand holding a phone charger.

“Danny?” Neil verifies, walking around the shelf to stand in front of him. “I haven’t seen you in  _ ages.” _

Danny snorts. “Tell me about it.”

He looks… different. The polo shirts and khakis he used to wear have been traded out for a soft yellow button-up and skinny jeans, and he looks brighter than he did in middle school. (Not that that’s a surprise. Not many people peak in eighth grade.) His hair is shorter, falling in a swoop over his forehead, and there’s a faint dusting of freckles over the bridge of his nose. His smile is wider and bolder, like it’s meant to be on his face, not like in eighth grade when his grins always reminded Neil of extended family staying at your house for Christmas- meant to be there, but a little awkward and not there to stay.

“I didn’t know you were in town,” Neil says cautiously.

“Joey’s in the school play. Well, he’s a techie. Nancy wouldn’t let him act.” Danny’s face dips into a frown for a moment before he grins again. “He’s thrilled about this set, though. It’s for Romeo and Juliet, which he says he hates, but the balcony’s supposed to be a masterpiece.” Danny pauses for a moment before shaking his head, still grinning. “I can’t believe I’m running into you at a Kwik Trip. I’ve missed you and your constant pessimism.”

They hug. It’s weird, and Neil doesn’t think he’s hugged anyone other than his mom in years, but Danny’s ridiculously tall and smells like cologne and it’s not awful. Neil buries his face in Danny’s shoulder, he seems surpised by the physical affection. Neil is too.

“I found some earbuds that don’t cost a fortune,” another voice says. It’s less melodic than Danny’s, and whoever it is sounds bored. “I think- oh, who’s this?” The guy sounds on guard, like he’d be ready to fistfight Neil in the parking lot if he turned out to be a threat. 

Neil takes a step back from Danny and conciders raising his hands in mock surrender before dismissing the idea. 

The men standing in front of them, clutching a pair of cheap earbuds in one hand, looks like someone even Neil could beat in a fight. His glasses- big black frames- are crooked, and he has another pair of apple earbuds hanging out of his pocket. His t-shirt is too big and is for a band Neil doesn’t recognise. 

Danny inhales sharply and the guy’s eyebrows furrow. “Is he your middle school boyfriend? Because we said we were going to be monogomous, so-”

Danny’s exhale is more of a hiss and he elbows the guy. His smile is gone, and he looks uneasily at Neil. The guy blinks slowly and seems to understand whatever Danny’s trying to convey, because he curses softly. 

There’s a moment of awkward silence before Neil figures out what’s happening. He laughs tightly and glances up a the ceiling, making a silent prayer to a god he doesn’t really believe in. 

“Nah, not boyfriends. I was like Narnia levels of in the closet in middle school. I didn’t figure out bisexuality was a thing until college,” he jokes and swipes at his bangs, which his mom wants him to trim. 

He really hopes he’s reading the situation right.

“No shit!” The guy says. “I’m Tim, Danny’s boyfriend.” Any hint of agression is gone, and he shakes Neil’s hand. It’s a good handshake, the kind you’d get from a presidential candidate. 

Danny’s gaping at Neil, and he shifts on his feet. 

“So… your mom?” Neil asks.

Tim answers for Danny. “We’re not really talking to her. We just avoid her when we come into town.”

“Mutual avoidance,” Danny corrects, recovering his wits. He shakes his head again and blinks. “Huh. Hey, Neil? Are you free?”

Neil thinks about the pile of stuff from his childhood bedroom he’s sifting through and shakes his head.

“Let’s get lunch,” Danny proposes. 

Neil grins. 


End file.
